This is going to be the first in a series I will do through Training Camp and on to Week 1 of the NFL season as we try to identify the 53 players who will make up the roster when the Baltimore Ravens face the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.

As Ozzie Newsome, John Harbaugh and company will at least MOSTLY keep the 53 best players on the roster, I am going to try to identify the Top 53 players on the roster myself. It ISN’T a perfect science, and some of the players will have outside circumstances that will influence where they find themselves on the list. Similarly, the Ravens will make some decisions based on health, position needs, etc.

I’m putting “best overall players”, “most significant players”, and “position relevance” into my “Top 53″ rankings. This isn’t just a list of the 53 best players on the team. This is however a list-at this moment-of the 53 players I believe are most likely to make the roster.

Here goes…

1. QB Joe Flacco (Do I even need to bother to explain?)
2. OT Michael Oher (Now at LT, Oher has moved into the “most important players on the team” category.)
3. RB Ray Rice (The team MVP from a season ago, Rice’s value is incredible despite the depth at the position. The Ravens are MUCH better offensively with Ray Rice than without him.)
4. WR Anquan Boldin (Everything about the football team changes with Boldin on the field. If this offense is going to be more dynamic this season, it’s going to happen because of what Boldin does to open things up.)

5. DT Haloti Ngata (It might be blasphemy to some, but Haloti Ngata is the most important defensive player on the roster. Everything they do defensively starts up front with Ngata.)
6. WR Derrick Mason (The team needs Mason to compliment Boldin if this offense is going to be explosive this season. He’s still one of the most important players on the roster.)
7. LB Ray Lewis (He’s no longer THE most important defensive player on the team, but he’s still one of the more important defensive players in the NFL. The drop from #52 to Gooden/Barnes/McClain is significant.)
8. LB Terrell Suggs (Despite his poor 2009, the Ravens maintain high expectations for T-Sizzle in 2010. There’s a question of whether or not he’ll live up to them, but there’s no doubt they exist.)
9. OT Jared Gaither (He might not be the team’s LT any longer, but he’s still a VERY significant part of this team. The Ravens want to have Gaither and Oher as bookend tackles, as they believe it’s part of what makes their team great. Should a team float out a ridiculous trade offer for Gaither at some point I don’t think the Ravens would just dismiss it, but they very much want him to be on the field in New Jersey on Sept. 13.)
10. S Ed Reed (Technically, Ed has still not informed the team that he will return-and should he struggle to regain form after an offseason hip procedure, there’s a chance he might not. But Reed’s plan is to return, and if he does-he’s still a possible future Hall of Fame safety. He’s one of the Top 10 players on the team.)
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11. LB Jarret Johnson (Jarret was the team’s best defensive player a season ago, but his significance on the roster lessened when the team drafted Sergio Kindle behind him. I’d still expect him to have a Pro Bowl season, but his arguable Top 10 ability is currently greater than his actual roster value.)
12. DT Terrence Cody (Yep, that’s awfully high. But make no mistake about it, the Ravens have high expectations for Terrence Cody. Terrence Cody may be behind Kelly Gregg on the depth chart right now, but I wouldn’t expect that to last through Training Camp. He’s a mountain of a man, and is MUCH quicker than you’d realize. The more you see him on the field, the more you’ll wonder how 56 picks were made in the NFL Draft before he came off the board.)
13. OG Ben Grubbs (Grubbs arguably played at a Pro Bowl level a season ago as well, and the organization has been thrilled with him ever since they drafted him out of Auburn in 2007. If he was a tackle, he might be in the Top 5.)
14. DE Trevor Pryce (Despite the fact that he’s kind of only a “half” starter-and sometimes not a starter at all-Pryce has a major role on this team. In passing situations, the Ravens need the pressure Pryce can provide. That being said, the paycut Pryce took this offseason does indeed partially represent how his role has changed.)
15. DL Cory Redding (If Pryce is 14, Redding sorta has to be 15. They’ll be sharing an end position this year, similar to how Pryce and Dwan Edwards shared the position a season ago.)
16. TE Todd Heap (It would be easy to assume that with the Ravens selecting two Tight Ends in the NFL Draft, Todd Heap might be falling out of favor with the team. However, the team thought Heap played FAR too many snaps last season-insert your own LJ Smith joke here-and they wanted to help Heap out. The team also expects the middle of the field to be opened up for Heap thanks to the presence of Anquan Boldin.)
17. CB Domonique Foxworth (He’s the top CB on the roster, but not amongst the top CB’s in the AFC. Foxworth played MUCH better at the end of the season last year, and given the question marks the team has at the position-they could really use a similar performance this year.)
18. C Matt Birk (Not really much to say here. He’s a very important part of the offensive line, and it would be a significant dropoff for the team to have to turn to Chris Chester should he get hurt. His role is important, and he played very well a season ago.)
19. LB Sergio Kindle (The Ravens didn’t use their first pick in the NFL Draft on Kindle by accident. He’s learning a difficult position-as he was a more natural pass rusher at Texas than he will be asked to be in the NFL. Don’t be surprised if Kindle’s impact his rookie season isn’t as profound as you might want from the first player a team selects, but he’s definitely a phenomenal talent.)

20. OG Marshal Yanda (He’s going to be the starting RG for the team, and in the unlikely situation that Jared Gaither WERE to be traded, he’d probably get the shot to start at RT. His job is plenty safe.)
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21. FB Le’Ron McClain (Le’Ron’s recent Twitter campaign might not make him a true RB, but he’s going to get touches both in short yardage situations and late in games, there’s no doubt about that. Le’Ron’s role is very important to this team, and his ability to take a beating will make a major difference in how successful Ray Rice can be after 2,000+ yards of offense a season ago.)
22. CB Lardarius Webb (There’s a level of uncertainty here surrounding how he’ll bounce back in Training Camp from his ACL injury a season ago, but if he’s healthy-he’ll have a chance to start opposite Domonique Foxworth at CB. If he gets back for the bulk of Training Camp, he’s likely be in the mix again at KR as well.)
23. S Dawan Landry (If you’re a starter on defense, your job is safe. Dawan Landry is a starter on defense. His long-term status with the team might be in question, but he’s going to be here. The only sweating Landry will do in Westminster this summer will be due to the weather.)
24. LB Dannell Ellerbe (Dannell Ellerbe is CLEARLY the best of the ILB’s on this roster behind Ray Lewis, but I don’t think his working with the 2nd team at a recent Passing Camp is as easy to dismiss as John Harbaugh wanted it to be. Ellerbe’s attitude and personality are what left him undrafted out of Georgia to begin with. Those questions haven’t gone away since he made the team out of Training Camp a season ago. They love Ellerbe’s ability, but they want him to have a better attitude to boot. He’ll be one to watch at McDaniel College this summer.)
25. CB Fabian Washington (If I’m guessing, Fabian Washington will be starting opposite Domonique Foxworth at the Meadowlands September 13th. He’s also coming off a knee injury, but appears to be a bit closer to returning than Webb. His spot is safe, even though most Ravens fans would like some more quality depth at CB given the receivers they’ll go up against in the AFC North.)
26. WR Donte’ Stallworth (We know this much, Donte’ Stallworth is fast. Judging by what we’ve seen from him in OTA’s, we know he can still catch-at least when he’s not heavily defended. He’s going to be 3rd on the WR depth chart, and won’t have any trouble making it to the final 53. The only real questions surrounding Stallworth have more to do with whether or not he’ll be the 3rd WR when John Harbaugh’s team battles Rex Ryan’s squad.)

27. DT Kelly Gregg (Kelly Gregg remains a fan favorite around Baltimore, but I’m not sure he has a long-term role with this team. I would be stunned if we make it 4 weeks into the season before Terrence Cody is considered a “starter” while Gregg works from the bench. The team is VERY deep with DT’s, and Gregg could end up being the odd man out sooner than later. I think he makes the team, but it looks like someone is going to have to be a casualty amongst the group.)
28. TE Ed Dickson (Dickson is currently ahead of Dennis Pitta and behind Todd Heap on the TE depth chart, and the Ravens are expecting much more from him than they have from backup TE’s in years past. Dickson has looked solid thus far in the offseason, and clearly will have no trouble making the roster for the fall.)
29. OL Chris Chester (Chester had the best season of his career in 2009, but still is a bit of a question mark on this Ravens’ roster. He won’t have trouble cracking the 53, but his role is a bit of a question mark. He’ll be the primary backup at guard, but looks like he’s out of the mix at center for the future. He’s part of the 53, but may not be part of the long-term plan.)
30. LB Tavares Gooden (If Greg Mattison IS toying with whether or not Dannell Ellerbe will start for this team, no single player on the roster would stand to benefit more than Gooden. Gooden inherited the starting job going into the 2009 season, but a concussion/injury plagued career has prohibited him from fully living up to the promise he showed coming out of Miami. He’s still a valuable part of the team, and won’t have any trouble making the roster.)
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31. CB Chris Carr (Carr is especially important to the team right now considering the injuries Washington and Webb and coming off of. He’s also the incumbent punt returner, although he wasn’t particularly overwhelming in the role a season ago. The team loves the veteran presence he gives them in the secondary and the locker room, and he’ll certainly have an important role on the team moving forward.)
32. P Sam Koch (Perhaps the most unfortunate thing about Sam Koch is that like many punters this team has employed before him-Dave Zastudil, Kyle Richardson and Gregg Montgomery-the team doesn’t appear inclined to pay him real money to keep him around long term. Koch had another very good season a year ago, and he’ll be expected to have a similarly solid campaign this season.)
33. QB Troy Smith (A recent Sun story quoted Cam Cameron as saying John Beck had the chance to supplant Troy Smith as the team’s backup QB-but it doesn’t mean the two are involved in any sort of open competition. Smith is the #2 QB unless he has a terrible summer while Beck excels, and the team still would like to use him in other ways. His future with the team is always in question, but clearly no other NFL teams-especially the Browns-was too particularly interested in obtaining him in the offseason.)
34. RB Willis McGahee (It is REALLY difficult to figure out what type of role Willis McGahee will have with this team. It looked a season ago as if he had improved his attitude and was on his way to re-establishing himself in the Ravens offense. And even late in the season against the Raiders and Patriots, he showed that he can still be a valuable contributor. That being said, he looked disinterested off the field, and again chose to skip offseason activities. I assume he’s on the 53, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the end of the road was coming soon.)
35. S Haruki Nakamura (Now healthy, Haruki is safely part of the roster. He has a role both defensively behind Ed Reed and Dawan Landry; and as a valued part of the team’s Special Teams unit. He’ll sleep comfortably during Training Camp-or at least as comfortably as you can sleep at a Best Western.)
36. S Tom Zbikowski (I almost just want to write “ditto” here, as the things said about Haruki Nakamura can also be said about Tom Zbikowski. He has a role, and he’s on the team. Next question.)
37. TE Dennis Pitta (I guess there’s a chance that if Davon Drew were to have an exceptional Training Camp and Pitta were to struggle the roster could change; but there’s no reason to think that will happen. The Ravens went out and got both Dickson and Pitta because they wanted both players to be part of the offense moving forward.)
(Image courtesy of SB Nation)

38. LB Brendon Ayanbadejo (If there’s a vet who MIGHT be a bit concerned about their spot on the roster, it could well be Ayanbadejo. He’s been a great contributor to the team via special teams, and was having his best season as a defender before getting hurt last season. But the Ravens are particularly deep at ILB, and a number of those players can also contribute on Special Teams. It looks like Ayanbadejo is safe, but it isn’t a guarantee.)
39. LB Jameel McClain (Jameel McClain is exactly the type of player I was referring to in the previous post. The Ravens have been happy with McClain since they got him undrafted out of Syracuse, but he hasn’t cracked into “safe” territory yet. It’s safe to assume he’ll be part of the 53 as long as he stays steady.)
40. RB Jalen Parmele (Parmele made himself more valuable with a steady performance as KR after Lardarius Webb was hurt last season. That’s important, considering the Ravens’ tremendous depth in the backfield. Parmele is the player that would stand to benefit most should the Ravens somehow end up parting ways with Willis McGahee. Parmele also gives them valuable depth should there be an injury to a top back.)
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41. K Shayne Graham (He’s finally on the roster, now he just has to win the job. Graham appears to have a “leg up” in his competition with Billy Cundiff for the kicker job. However, it cannot be forgotten that there is a reason the Bengals parted ways with Graham, especially after his two big misses in a Wild Card playoff loss in Cincinnati. There’s going to be a kicker on the roster, and I’d say there’s a 60 percent chance it’s Graham.)

(Imagecourtesy of SB Nation)

42. QB John Beck (John Beck is going to make this team, as the Ravens are going to carry 3 quarterbacks. Hopefully, he won’t take a single snap all season, unless the team decides to use him from victory formation.)
43. OT Oniel Cousins (The team needs depth at OT, and while Oniel Cousins might not provide particularly QUALITY depth, he does provide depth. He’ll have the chance to move up this list in Training Camp.)
44. LS Matt Katula (This is very simple. Much like the competition for the kicking job, there is a competition for the long snapping job. Katula has about a 75 percent chance of winning the job over rookie Morgan Cox, but will have to show that he’s 100 percent after being plagued by elbow issues and ready to bounce back from a brutal 2009 campaign.)
45. WR Mark Clayton (I don’t think Clayton’s job is QUITE as safe as some others might think, but I certainly assume he’ll be on the team. Clayton has never seen this many capable receivers around him, and he has to make an impact despite coming off an offseason shoulder procedure. I assume he’s on the team, but it is no guarantee.)
46. DE Paul Kruger (This is an interesting situation. The Ravens maintained that they weren’t unhappy with Kruger during his rookie campaign despite the fact that he didn’t play much and contributed less than that. It’s hard to imagine a 2nd round pick being a question mark to make the roster just a year later, but you can’t ignore the number of scratches he had a season ago. He’s bulked up and is expected to be more of a natural pass rusher this season; but there are a number of D-Linemen in front of him. He’ll need to show that he can get to the quarterback, or the number of questions will continue to grow.)
47. DT Brandon McKinney (When Brandon McKinney made the roster last season, he truly LOOKED “like a Raven.” He still does, but is coming off back surgery and plays a position where the team has significant depth. He’s no guarantee to make the roster, but he’s exactly the type of player the Ravens want around.)
48. LB Antwan Barnes (Barnes is part of a deep group at LB, but the team has remained high on him despite some goofy antics at times. That being said, Barnes was an inactive a few times down the stretch last season, so his margin for error is small.)
49. DT Arthur Jones (I can tell you this much. John Harbaugh really is a big fan of Arthur Jones. That being said, it’s a very deep position-and the team might not be able to keep everyone. Arthur Jones is exactly the type of player the team loves, so I get the feeling he’ll stay on the good side of the roster bubble.)
50. OL David Hale (David Hale gives the team depth at interior lineman, but it isn’t particularly quality depth. Should Matt Birk get hurt, it is still more likely that Chris Chester would play center over an extended period of time, but Hale gives them much needed flexibility.)
51. DT Kelly Talavou (I have a funny feeling Talavou could end up being this year’s version of Derrick Martin. Martin-as you’ll remember-was behind a glut of cornerbacks on the roster a season ago at the end of Training Camp, and was traded to the Green Bay Packers for Tony Moll despite being a player the Ravens really liked. Talavou and McKinney are both candidates to be traded after Training Camp, but McKinney’s back injury could make Talavou more valuable on the market.)
52. CB Travis Fisher (The injuries bothering Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington make Travis Fisher more valuable every day. He’s a veteran corner-having played in Seattle, Detroit and St. Louis before now. Even if Webb and Washington are healthy, he could still make the roster to give the team CB depth considering some of the troubles they had defending the pass a season ago. Fisher isn’t Darrelle Revis, but most Ravens fans only care that he isn’t Frank Walker either.)
53. WR David Reed (This is a tough call. David Reed will probably end up in the return mix, as he’s more explosive than Jalen Parmele or Chris Carr, and he’s healthier than Lardarius Webb. Reed might not have much of a role at WR, but Jerry Rosburg has to want his returners to be a little bit more of a threat to break one back. I’ll give Reed the benefit of the doubt when it comes to making the team, but he’ll have an uphill battle.)
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54. OT Ramon Harewood (The rookie from Morehouse State misses the cut on my first list mostly because he hasn’t had a chance to prove himself yet. A knee injury has caused him to miss the bulk of the offseason work thus far, and he’ll have to show that he’s more than just a project in Training Camp to make sure he ends up on the roster. The Ravens could try to stash him away on IR.)
55. WR Demetrius Williams (This may or may not correct itself before the start of the regular season. Perhaps no player on the roster is facing a more crucial summer than Williams, as he been making the roster based on size alone for the better part of his career. The Ravens may be forced to fish or cut bait with Williams, as they have too many receivers to keep one around whose only ability thus far in his career has been an ability to…sometimes…draw pass interference flags.)
56. K Billy Cundiff (Billy Cundiff clearly has the most simple road to the roster, as he just has to beat out Shayne Graham for the job. Most of us assumed Graham Gano would beat out Steve Hauschka for the job last summer, but it didn’t work out that way. I’m assuming Graham gets the gig, but certainly Cundiff will have the chance.)
57. OT Tony Moll (Tony Moll offers the team a player who can play both Guard and Tackle, but there’s no real place for him on the roster. This may come down to the team keeping either him or Harewood, and a healthy Harewood appears to offer the team a bit more than Moll does.)
58. LB Prescott Burgess (Not everyone in the LB mix can make the team. With depth from Antwan Barnes, Jameel McClain, Tavares Gooden, Sergio Kindle, Brendon Ayanbadejo and maybe even from Paul Kruger; there’s no way the team can keep everyone at the position. Burgess was a roster casualty a season ago, but the Ravens were able to re-acquire him after trading him to the New England Patriots.)
59. RB Matt Lawrence (The team REALLY likes Matt Lawrence, especially what he has to offer on Special Teams. Lawrence made the roster a season ago as the team kept 5 backs, but there’s no guarantee they’ll keep that many this season. He can very well make the team, but it won’t be easy-especially as he returns from a knee injury.)
60. LB Edgar Jones (It is REALLY tough to figure out what the Ravens plan to do with Edgar Jones this season. He’s managed to remain employed while switching from LB to TE to LB to TE to FB to LB to….I thought they might even give him a shot at the kicking competition this summer. Clearly the organization likes him, and OLB is a better spot to try to make the roster than ILB, I just don’t see a role for him right now.)
61. LB Jason Phillips (See Burgess, Prescott. The team was able to stash Jason Phillips away on IR last season, but likely won’t be able to do the same this year. He’ll have an uphill climb to make the roster, as the Ravens don’t lack depth at the position.)
62. FB Mike McLaughlin (McLaughlin has a real chance to make this roster as well. The undrafted rookie from Boston College hasn’t played fullback since high school, but if he can adapt to it, the team could keep him on to create a jumbo backfield along with Le’Ron McClain. He’ll also need to show that he can step in and play Special Teams, which his background as a LB should help with. My guess is that McLaughlin ends up on the Practice Squad, but he’ll certainly be worth keeping an eye on during Training Camp.)
63. TE Davon Drew (The Ravens were EXTREMELY disappointed with Drew after drafting him out of East Carolina last year. So much so that they let him go before re-signing him when the Miami Dolphins gave up on him as well. That being said, Drew has looked pretty good in the offseason, and will have a chance to compete for a roster spot. Outperforming Dennis Pitta would be the easiest way to get a spot, but seeing as how the team has a soft spot for TE’s, there’s at least a chance they end up keeping 4. Drew’s chances would improve if he offered the team something out of the backfield as well.)

64. WR Marcus Smith (Marcus Smith is a dark horse to make the roster, but it is worth remembering that he WOULD have made the roster last season before suffering a knee injury in a preseason win over the Washington Redskins. Smith faces a tough competition, but he is 6’1″, and has shown some promise during his short NFL career.)
65. CB Cary Williams (Speaking of 6’1″, height might give Williams a chance to make the roster on the defensive side as well. It looks like Williams will be battling Travis Fisher for a roster spot, but the team could end up keeping more DB’s-especially considering the question marks surrounding Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb’s return from injury. Williams hung around on the roster at the end of last season, but still has a long road ahead of him.)
66. S KJ Gerard (The 2009 UFA out of Northern Arizona impressed the team from Day 1, so much so that he was eventually promoted to the roster from the Practice Squad when Haruki Nakamura was hurt. That being said, it’s hard to picture the team keeping a 5th safety, and it seems unlikely that Gerard would make the squad as a corner ahead of the likes of Fisher and Williams. His versatility and special teams ability give him a shot, but his best chance is if someone ahead of him gets hurt.)
67. CB Prince Miller (Of this year’s group of UFA’s, Miller and Mike McLaughlin appear to have the best chance at making the roster. Miller has had the chance to mark quality SEC receivers during his career at Georgia, but 5’8″ certainly isn’t the ideal height for a corner. He’s played well in the offseason, and his ability to return kicks could give him a real chance to make the roster.)
68. WR Justin Harper (Justin Harper found his way to the active roster late in the season, but the number of quality receivers ahead of him makes it unlikely to envision him finding his way on the roster out of Training Camp. He has a way of impressing fans with leaping catches in practice, but has dropped way too many catches to be considered a serious candidate to make the roster. If that changes over the summer, he’ll work his way up the list.)
69. DT Lamar Divens (Divens is in the deep group of D-Linemen that are trying to make the roster. Unfortunately, he played in just 3 games in 2008 before missing the entire 2009 season due to a shoulder injury. He’s in the “looks like a Raven” mix, but he’ll have to win a job against the likes of Talavou, McKinney and Art Jones.)
70. CB Marcus Paschal (Paschal and John Harbaugh have a history that dates back to their time together with the Philadelphia Eagles, but Paschal has still only played 5 games in his NFL career. He has a shot to make the roster considering the team needs secondary depth, but I wouldn’t describe his shot as “likely.”)
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71. OT Joe Reitz (Reitz has snuck his way onto the Practice Squad over the last two seasons-one of which was cut short by shoulder injury. He’s 6’7″ and 315 pounds but his still never played real football game in his life, either at the college of pro level. His size makes him promising, but his lack of experience makes him unlikely.)
72. WR Eron Riley (Riley is 6’3″ and one of the more likeable guys in the locker room, but the coaches want to see more explosiveness from him. If the team hadn’t upgraded at receiver over the offseason, I might think better of his chances of making the roster.)
73. DE William Van de Steeg (When I saw lower case letters on Van de Steeg’s jersey last summer in Westminster, I assumed he wouldn’t be around very long. He’s hung around Charm City longer than I expected, but I don’t expect it to be too much longer.)
74. OL Bryan Mattison (It’s nice to be the son of the offensive coordinator, but it probably isn’t nice enough to get Mattison on the roster. He was kept on the practice squad last season, and I imagine he’ll probably find his way on the practice squad again this year.)
75. OT Stefan Rodgers (Rodgers has been a part of 5 different teams during his 3 year NFL career; including the Buccaneers, Eagles, Jets and Jaguars. During that time, he has yet to make it on the field for 1 game. I don’t think that changes with the Ravens this season.)
76. LS Morgan Cox (Morgan Cox’s chances of making the roster actually aren’t all that bad. He just has to beat out Matt Katula, who will come in as an overwhelming favorite. If Katula hasn’t shaken off his elbow issues, Cox’s chances will improve.)
77. RB Curtis Steele (A lot of scouts really like Curtis Steele. The problem is, there isn’t an obvious role for the UFA out of Memphis. My guess is that he ends up on the practice squad, but making the 53 isn’t impossible.)
78. DE Albert McClellan (I haven’t heard a bad thing about the Ravens’ UFA out of Marshall. Problem is, I haven’t heard anything that makes me think he’ll really have a shot at making the roster.)
79. WR Rodelin Anthony (When you’re a 6’5″ receiver, scouts pay attention. But if the Ravens’ UFA out of UNLV wants to make the 53, he’s going to have to make a MAJOR impact between now and Labor Day.)
80. S Brad Jones (I think a lot of folks were confused about who exactly Brad Jones was when he signed out of Cincinnati. Jones is a rookie-not the LB who was drafted by and played for the Packers last season. The Ravens have had success with safeties from Cincinnati-see Nakamura, Haruki; but I don’t expect that to help Jones make the roster.)
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81. WR Maurice Price (Price has bounced around during his career-making stops with the Chiefs, Pats, 49ers and Calgary Stampeders of the CFL before landing on the Ravens’ practice squad. I would be surprised if he found his way back.)
82. WR Chris Hannon (A 6’3″ receiver out of the University of Tennessee who has made stops in Kansas City, Carolina, San Francisco, Miami and Detroit should probably have a better chance of making the roster than I am giving him credit for. He’ll have plenty of time over the next few months to prove me wrong.)
83. DL John Fletcher (John Fletcher is a 6’6″ D-Lineman out of Wyoming. He has at least a chance at making the practice squad, but probably nothing more than that.)
84. OL Daniel Sanders (The UFA out of Colorado hasn’t given me-or anyone else-much of a reason to be able to say too much about him at this point. Maybe that will change.)
85. CB Courtney Smith (I’m not sure I had ever heard of Central Washington before the Ravens picked up Courtney Smith. He’ll have a chance to put the school on the map, but it’s a bit of an extreme longshot.)
86. CB Ashton Hall (The Ravens signed two undrafted members of the Thundering Herd following the draft. Of the two, Albert McClellan appears to be a bit farther ahead.)
87. C Digger Bujnoch (Before putting together this list, I could name 86 of the 87 players on the Ravens’ roster. The former Cincinnati Bearcats center was the only one I couldn’t.)

It will be interesting to see how the next few weeks play out, as each of these players will have a chance to improve their place on the list.

It’s a Happy Friday for me because…well…because it’s Friday. Sure, I got kicked out of Yankee Stadium yesterday just for being an Orioles fan…which SHOULD be an “ejectable offense” the more I think about how silly it is to root for this team.

Before we get to “Trembley Watch 2010″, how about we start this thing on a positive? Deadspin posted a soccer goal the other day that makes me think even I could participate in the World Cup…

Well, the few innings that I got to see of it-it looked just like Orioles baseball to me.

It was hard to even be excited when Luke Scott and Adam Jones homered, as we knew it meant a rally wasn’t coming. Kevin Millwood wasn’t up to the level of effectiveness that we’ve come to expect from him this season, but who can blame him?

Plus, the Yankees ARE really good. Alex Rodriguez wasn’t even TRYING to hit a homerun when he did. They have a lineup that is so good that a guy who would quite possibly be the AL MVP right now (Robinson Cano) is hitting 5th! They have a lineup that is so good Mark Teixeira is barely hitting better than Mark Wahlberg thus far, and the team is mostly unconcerned.

It doesn’t make it unfair that the Orioles have to compete against the Yankees in the AL East. It makes it unfair that the Orioles don’t TRY to compete against the Yankees in the AL East.

And by the way, don’t take a look at the MLB standings at any point (unless for some strange reason you absolutely have to). The only thing you’ll see is that the Birds are currently 15.5 games back…of FOURTH PLACE.

In the end, there will be no crying over the end of Dave Trembley’s tenure, as no one REALLY thinks Dave Trembley is a good manager. That being said, he was never given a respectable group of players capable of actually winning…anything.

No sadness today for Dave Trembley, who might well be a nice guy (as Roch Kubatko said), but never really showed himself to be capable of managing.

As far as Juan Samuel is concerned…umm…okay? I know this isn’t a permanent move, but it isn’t inspiring long term OR short term. The Orioles will presumably start looking for a manager in the Bob Melvin/Buck Showalter/Tom Kelly/etc. crowd, although there is an argument that they should let Samuel finish the season and then actually conduct a FULL search in the offseason.

For the record, I’d sign off on Bob Melvin being hired. Having covered him in Phoenix when he managed the Arizona Diamondbacks, I’ve seen him take a team to the NLCS whose best players were Chris Young and Eric Byrnes. That being said, no one should have any reason to believe the team will get any THIS season under any manager. They’re not a good team, and some of the players who HAVE performed may well be shipped elsewhere.

Hopefully there will be both a respectable manager in the dugout and a respectable team on the field come Opening Day 2011. In the meantime, this remains hopeless no matter who’s managing.

The blood is on MacPhail’s hands. He’s in charge, and he didn’t give the manager a REAL chance to win-despite the fact that the manager really wasn’t any good.

MacPhail’s “plan” looks almost laughable at this point, with only the young pitchers (and Nick Markakis) looking like actual major league players right now. This is a CRUCIAL offseason for MacPhail, as the team HAS to be better next season for there to be any reason for any of us to believe that MacPhail actually does know what he’s doing in Baltimore.

Yes, I’m talking about the offseason 54 games into this season. What else would I do?

It’s like a broken damn record, but GOD does it ever suck to be an Orioles fan right now.

-Congratulations to “Apologist of the Morning” Peter DiLutis, who we have decided that we will also “fire” from AOTM consideration today. Peter has toed the line of “Apologist” and “Idiot” for the better part of the season, and today’s thoughts that the Trembley firing would “spark fan interest” went down the “idiotic” role. Drew Forrester “The Great Arbitrator” selected him over Roch Kubatko AND Dave Trembley, and I will apologize to both of them for being mentioned in the same sentence as the kid.

-The Orioles actually DO play again tonight, but only because they have to. They’ll open a weekend set with the Boston Red Sox; with first pitch on MASN from Oriole Park at Camden Yards at 7:05pm. Chris Tillman makes the start for the Birds, Clay Buchholz opposes him for the Sox. I’ll assume a sweep-but I would probably assume a sweep against just about anyone.

As I said yesterday via Twitter (follow us @WNST), it is safe to call Graham the favorite in his competition against Billy Cundiff this summer in Training Camp; but he’ll have to show that he’s moved past the issues that lead him to miss two big kicks in the Cincinnati Bengals’ Wild Card loss to the New York Jets. If he struggles, Cundiff will still have a chance to leave Westminster with NFL employment.

Graham has the chance to make up to $2.5 million this season via incentives. Hopefully those incentives include NOT MISSING KICKS.

And with all of this said, there’s still another part of the equation here. Matt Katula HAS to have a better season snapping the ball. If he struggles again, this could look very similar to the Steve Hauschka – Graham Gano competition from a year ago.

Which is sorta why my expectations (FOR THIS SEASON) are higher for Terrence Cody than they are for Sergio Kindle. He has to learn a new position (as he was mostly a pass rusher at Texas) that is particularly complicated. I think Sergio Kindle is going to be a very impressive player, I just don’t know that it’s going to be at the Rookie of the Year caliber level that he is hoping to perform at this season.

By the way, if you missed Sergio Kindle (and Terrence Cody and Ed Dickson and Arthur Jones) at our Miller Lite Purple Rookies Show Wednesday night at Casey’s in Towson; you can hear from ALL of them in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault right here at WNST.net.

Not that he ever really WAS a candidate this time around. Gait has done a nice job coaching the women at Syracuse, but his coaching experience just really doesn’t fit the bill of what’s necessary for the Terps as they look to replace Dave Cottle.

Also cross Rick Sowell off the list, as the Stony Brook coach received a contract extension to stay put there.

The list is still LONG. Kevin Corrigan, Mike Pressler, Jeff Tambroni and Don Zimmerman are still probably the most likely candidates…probably. At least maybe.

And Duke’s Ned Crotty won the award on the men’s side. Crotty was clearly the best player in the game this year, I just couldn’t have voted for him because I am particularly opposed to the 5th year Blue Devils.

That being said, both are very deserving honors for the best players in college lacrosse.

And we’re very deserving of looking at pictures of Rose Byrne from GQ, as posted by Guyism…

I understand why ESPN3 if good for the ACC and company, but the league needs to work out a way that games shown on ESPN3 can also be shown over the air in local markets. For example, if the game is on ESPN3 (the old ESPN360)-there should be an option for Comcast SportsNet to carry the ESPN broadcast.

ESPNU is good for no one…unless of course you have ESPNU. I do not. And I’m the most important person here.

For a differing opinion, Rick from Reisterstown selected the favorite (Ice Box) to win when he called the race this morning on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST. I’ll pick Make Music For Me, mostly because he has the best name in the race.

If you missed Rick this morning, you can hear it in the Audio Vault. It will be available later via WNSTv. Other guests from this morning you can hear in the Audio Vault include Baseball America’s Jim Callis, NBC Sports’ Craig Calcaterra (HardBallTalk) and NESN Sox pre-game host Tom Caron.

It’s a Happy Monday for me because even though I missed yesterday’s “Earth Day Climate Rally” on the National Mall, I heard about a new rave that’s sweeping the nation…

Sexy Na’vi Costumes!

I like EVERYTHING about this. This will be especially helpful at Halloween, as I was getting sick of only ever seeing sexy nurses and sexy cops and things of that nature. It was about time ladies stepped up their game.

I know I’m not the first to make this joke-but when the Orioles couldn’t win on Sundays and everyone was getting pissed off-it wasn’t because we wanted the Orioles to ONLY win on Sundays!

The reaction to yesterday’s win has been a bit odd. The players (and manager) gave quotes akin to having won a World Series. Mostly-fans have been well aware that one win REALLY doesn’t mean that much.

But it feels good to get a win. Especially when 16 of the other 18 games the team has played have been losses.

The wins are almost more difficult to analyze than the losses, as it feels like it took a miracle to get it. Even the line drive at the end of the game appeared to be headed over Ty Wigginton’s head and into the territory of more heartbreak.

David Hernandez had a great start to his outing, but things started to come apart. The bullpen was up and down, but Cla Meredith (who had amazingly NEVER recorded a single save in his career) allowed the entire city to breathe a sigh of relief.

All over ONE WIN.

ONE WIN.

You know-if Dave Trembley HAD decided to puff on a cigar after the game during his MASN interview, I probably would have given him a pass.

No one will want to talk about this, but during the course of the game-the hitters in the O’s lineup combined to leave 26 men on base.

26.

That doesn’t mean 26 physical men were left on base, but that the batters in the lineup combined to leave 26 freaking men on base.

That almost seems impossible.

Some of those runs could have really mattered, too. When they went up 7-4 in the 10th inning; I personally assumed Jim Johnson would step back in and slam the door on the Sox. But had Julio Lugo actually been able to lay down a bunt and more the runners over, maybe the lead could have been extended to 9-4 and things would have never gotten interesting.

These runners ALWAYS matter. Julio Lugo was crucified by a number of people in town (starting with Jim Palmer) when he didn’t run out a ground ball. Where’s the accountability for failing to get runners over in the 10th?

What Drew is saying is very relevant. You can go to the Audio Vault this morning at WNST.net and hear from Eric DeCosta, who joined “The Morning Reaction” for a chat with Drew Forrester on AM1570 WNST to recap what the team did this weekend during the NFL Draft.

That’s right, the Ravens’ #2 decision maker when it comes to personnel joined Drew Forrester this morning, with the understanding that he had to hold himself accountable for the decisions the organization made-including trading out of the #25 spot, selecting Sergio Kindle at 43, adding Terrence Cody, and drafting two tight ends. He also answered questions about players they didn’t select-including Dez Bryant and Rob Gronkowski.

It IS important that all sports franchises make themselves available to be held accountable for their decisions. When you ask people in the city to invest their money in your franchise, you need to be accountable. Allowing 105.7 and MASN to say things like “that was a tough one today skip” isn’t accountability.

It’s a fair argument-which is strange considering Drew made it. Usually I only apperciate his arguments when they have to do with Denzel Washington, John Mayer or this subject…

You know, I really thought this was the biggest story line of the weekend. Despite the fact that Boston won 2 of the 3 games at Fenway Park, I think this weekend really proved that the Red Sox just aren’t that good.

Who is going to drive in runs for that team?

I understand that they’re playing with Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron. I understand that the Orioles’ starters threw some good innings this weekend. But the Red Sox-to me, don’t look like a team that can win the American League Wild Card (as I predicted they would do before the season) and CERTAINLY not the type of team that can compete against the Yankees and Rays in the AL East.

Unless of course they find a way to add a big run producer in the middle of their lineup. Which-given the fact that their ownership, decision makers and fans all want to WIN-I wouldn’t doubt them doing.

Before we wrap up our portion of today’s news dedicated to the Orioles, a reminder that they are off tonight-and will return to action tomorrow night against the Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. If you’re heading to the game, be sure to say hello to the 15,000-25,000 fans from New York who will be joining you; as well as the 3,000-5,000 fans from Baltimore who will be in attendance.

Also, congratulations to “Camden Crazies”, whose musings on Twitter yesterday have earned “Apologist of the Morning” honors. His musings included comments about the Orioles being better than their record and that the relievers weren’t that bad because “sometimes hits fall in.”

They certainly do. Sadly, the fall in much more often against the Orioles.

And McLaughlin (who is probably the best overall player of the group the Ravens have signed post-Draft) joined the great Glenn Clark Sunday during NFL Draft coverage on AM1570-you can also hear that interview in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault.

Morgan Cox may have the best chances of making the team of any player in the group. We all know how badly Matt Katula struggled a season ago; and if those struggles are still evident when the team reports to McDaniel College in July, Cox could steal the job.

Well, I wouldn’t exactly expect Haruki to say that Ozzie Newsome failed the team during the Draft; but I certainly got the idea that Ravens players were happy with the moves the team made over the weekend.

Ravens LB Jameel McClain appears to be happy that the team added fellow Syracuse Orange defensive player Arthur Jones. And for the record, I’m happy Arthur Jones is a Raven too. Please pass that along to his brother Jon “Bones” Jones so that he doesn’t kick my ass…

We know this much…the Cavs are the best team in the country-despite their setback at Duke.

It really is a shame that Maryland was forced to play without Yeatman, as the teams were separated by just a single goal the first time they met at Byrd Stadium, and things certainly had a chance to be just as interesting this time around.

Instead of getting off on one of their notorious slow starts, the Terrapins started the game well, but lost firepower down the stretch against Wahoos goalie Adam Ghitelman.

The one thing I’ll say about yesterday’s game is that it didn’t prove to me that they are incapable of beating UVa. Should the teams meet again at M&T Bank Stadium in the Final Four-I think they’ll have a chance…IF they have Will Yeatman.

Loyola didn’t exactly throttle Hobart on Saturday, but they won comfortably to extend one of the more impressive hot streaks I can ever remember from the Greyhounds. Tony Seaman’s Tigers beat Penn State Saturday to extend a winning streak of their own.

Of course-the bad news for local lax fans came when Johns Hopkins fell to Navy; as it looks more and more like the Blue Jays may end up being left out of the NCAA Tournament altogether. A loss to Towson Wednesday night or to the Hounds at Ridley Athletic Complex on May 8 would shut the door completely.

And with that, Lookin’ At Lucky will likely be the morning line favorite Saturday at Churchill Downs. I’ll be there, and I could REALLY use a cotton seersucker suit to take with me. If you’re a business owner (or just a guy) who would like to either donate/allow me to borrow/allow me to rent/or sell cheap something that looks like this…

…you’ll have a new best friend. I’ll buy you something from Louisville.

And finally, I leave you with this…

This is Kara Tointon. She’s from England. This picture was at Guyism.com. Enjoy how you will.

Greetings from 1 Winning Drive, where the Baltimore Ravens gathered today to clear out their lockers before beginning the offseason. A number of players met with the media, a handful were unavailable. The players spent much of the day signing each others’ helmets and recycling gear, but a number of players were very aware of the fact that they might be cleaning out their locker for the final time here at the complex. This was a common sight today…

The biggest story of the day was the BIZARRE conversation Derrick Mason had with us while he was cleaning out his locker. It opened this way….

“I’m done.”

From there, it was a strange rambling where Mason both made it appear that he was retiring, then eventually left everyone in the air about his future. Some of the highlights….

-”This is it. I had a lot of fun. We had a good role this year…”
-”I’m possibly done as a player in the NFL. I feel good physically, but mentally I just gotta see what happens from here.”
-”I don’t know what the Ravens are going to do.”
-”I’ve got a week to rest and find something to do…here or in Nashville. Cut a little grass probably.”
-”I will talk to Coach Harbaugh or Ozzie (Newsome) and Cam (Cameron) and my position coach (Jim Hostler), let them know where my mind is at mentally.”
-”I didn’t wana Super Bowl yet…..I think I’m gonna tell ya’ll when Ed Reed tell ya’ll.”
-”Ed Reed’s 50-50 right now, I’m more like 60-40.”
-”Nothing’s definite but death and taxes.”
-”I’m gonna make a decision…quickly and definitively. It’s not gonna be a drawn out thing.”
-”If someone catches me working out in another week, then I guess I made my decision. But if not, I guess my days of playing football are possibly over.”
-”Anyone who gives you a percentage….even though I said 60-40….they’re lying.”
-”There’s a chance” he could come back to Baltimore.

It was REALLY weird. I implore you to listen to it in the Audio Vault at WNST.net. It came off as though Derrick WANTED to announce his retirement, but had a sudden change of heart as he was talking.

There is more to be heard in the Audio Vault at WNST.net. You can hear from these players, and I’ll include a highlight from each:WR Kelley Washington: “I’m going to look out for myself, put myself in the best situation…I don’t expect everybody to be back.”DE/LB Paul Kruger told us he was meeting with John Harbaugh later today to discuss what he needs to do in the offseason to make sure he plays next year.QB Troy Smith:“I love the situation here, I love the people here. Through the thick of things, you wanna play, you wanna be on the field.”WR Demetruius Williams-On his time in Baltimore: “I can’t say it’s been all great, I can’t say it’s been all bad. It’s been my time.”QB Joe Flacco: “I was not affected in any way” by injuries.OT Michael Oher says Jared Gaither is Ravens LT: “He’s a better player than I am, better athlete. It would be better” if he was RT & Gaither LT.WR Mark Clayton:WR corps “needs to be strong”… Ravens probably need to add a “playmaker” to group. He expects to be a restricted free agent, and says of his relationship with the team- “we’re cool.”K Billy Cundiff:“I’d love to come back.” He added that he would be open to competition in Training Camp if he comes back.LS Matt Katula:“I wanna be here…hopefully I am.” Elbow is “not an excuse…I just need to get better.”LB Jarret Johnsonsays he’ll be rooting for the Jets, but it’s “bittersweet” to see so many former Ravens having success there.DT Justin Bannan:“I don’t have a crystal ball, all I can say is I love this city, the organization, the fans. It’s been a true pleasure…”OT Jared Gaither initially told reporters he was unavailable due to the flu, but later came back and appeared to be fine. “I’m not really worried about” future with team, “I’m pretty sure I’ll be here”LB Brendon Ayanbadejoon Ed Reed’s status: “Time is the greatest healer. Once the game is gone, that’s pretty much what you want to have back.”S Dawan Landry on future with team: “Hopefully everything works out.”CB Chris Carr:“I’m definitely going to try to call (Ed Reed) and try to convince him to stay.”CB Lardarius Webbsays he’ll be staying in Baltimore to rehab injury. Training Camp is a “realistic” expectation, but he won’t “rush.”CB Domonique Foxworth: “I fully expect (Ed Reed) to be back.”
Amongst the players who weren’t available to meet with the media today were LB Ray Lewis, LB Terrell Suggs, DT Haloti Ngata, RB Ray Rice, C Matt Birk, TE Todd Heap, DT Kelly Gregg and RB Willis McGahee. McGahee was approached in the locker room, but he exclaimed “I’m out” as he moved swiftly past repoters. I believe a reporter may have been able to corner him as he was leaving the building entirely. Other players may have had individual meetings.

John Harbaugh will hold his final press conference of the season tomorrow morning at 11am. We will have live coverage for you at WNST.net and via Twitter (@WNST). The traditional end of season news conference with Harbaugh, Steve Bisciotti and Ozzie Newsome is not scheduled as of yet.

It was fitting to see the Ravens fall apart in the final 5 minutes of the first half Saturday night in Indianapolis. Fitting because the final 5 minutes of halves are exactly where everything went wrong for this team throughout the season in dropping 8 games.

Need a refresher?

Week 4 @ New England:Final 5 minutes of 1st half-The Patriots were ahead 10-7, but a Sammy Morris 12 yard TD followed by a Joe Flacco interception put the Pats up 17-7 at the break.2nd half-After driving the length of the field, a hopeful game-winning drive faltered when Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton dropped passes to finish the Ravens’ chances.

Week 5 vs. Cincinnati:1st half-After getting into Bengals territory with :33 to play in the half, the Ravens were unable to get even as much as a FG attempt before the half. They were forced to burn their final timeout at the :33 mark because an 8 yard pass to Todd Heap was in the middle of the field. (The Ravens ultimately lost by a field goal.)2nd half-Carson Palmer converted a 4th and 1 to continue a hopeful game-winning drive, then Ray Lewis’ personal foul on Chad Ochocinco and Ed Reed/Frank Walker’s pass interference on a 3rd & 16 put Cincy in scoring position. They cashed in, as Palmer found Andre Caldwell for the winner.

Week 6 @ Minnesota:1st half-Trailing 14-0, the Ravens had a golden opportunity to make the game a 1 possession game with a 1st & 10 from the Vikings 12 yard line and 2 timeouts. Unfortunately, all they could muster was a 1 yard completion to Ray Rice, and they were forced to kick a FG. (The extra 4 points would have made up the eventual 2 point difference.)2nd half-After what seemed like an impossible rally, the Ravens went ahead 31-30. It took Brett Favre little time to turn things around for the Vikes-as he went 58 yards to Sidney Rice on a play where Frank Walker couldn’t have interfered more. After a Ryan Longwell FG put the Vikings back ahead, the Ravens had a chance to win the game, but a bad snap from Matt Katula lead to a bad miss from Steve Hauschka at the gun.

Week 9 @ Cincinnati:1st half-Trailing 17-0, the Ravens got the ball back with 2:52 to play and a chance to do SOMETHING before going to the locker room. It took just one play for Joe Flacco to be picked by Leon Hall on an unnecessary deep ball, and the Bengals took that same advantage to the locker room.2nd half-Despite a Steve Hauschka miss with 6:12 to play, the Ravens still had a chance trailing 17-7 late. Approaching midfield on the better side of the 2 minute warning and with timeouts still in their pockets, everything fell apart. Joe Flacco was sacked on 3 straight plays, and the Bengals essentially clinched the AFC North.

Week 11 vs. Indianapolis:1st half-The Colts punctuated an 80 yard drive with a 5 yard TD by Joseph Addai to put the Colts ahead 14-9. After some strange play-calling, the Ravens DID still manage to cut the Colts’ lead to 14-12 going to the break, but better use of the clock could have taken them the extra 18 yards into the endzone.2nd half-Trailing 17-15, the Ravens were marching towards a sure-fire FG or a hopeful TD to re-take the lead. But the drive fell apart when Joe Flacco was intercepted by Gary Brackett on a short pass over the middle. After getting a stop, the Ravens had one more chance-but Ed Reed fumbled away a punt return on an unthinkable lateral attempt.

Week 13 @ Green Bay:1st half-The Ravens had given up just 3 points when there were 5 minutes left on the clock. By the time they went to the half, they had given up 17. Sound familiar? Jermichael Finley and Donald Driver caught Aaron Rodgers TD’s to extend the lead. Unbelievably, the Ravens actually had a chance to get points before the half when they got the ball at the GB 37 with :32 to play and 2 timeouts-but they could get just 12 yards.2nd half-Due to Joe Flacco throwing one of the worst interceptions in Ravens history, the final 5 minutes at Lambeau Field were mostly unnecessary. But the Pack rubbed salt in the wounds anyway, adding a Mason Crosby FG and finishing things with a Clay Matthews sack to finalize a 27-14 victory.

Week 16 @ Pittsburgh:1st half-After driving into Steelers territory, a drive to tie the game or potentially go ahead was thwarted by an Ike Taylor sack. The Steelers responded by marching downfield, and a Ben Roethlisberger-Santonio Holmes TD extended their lead to 20-10. John Harbaugh decided for some inexplicable reason to call his final 2 timeouts in the last 35 seconds-saying he had hoped for a pass to set up a Hail Mary. It doesn’t make any more sense now than it did at the time.2nd half-Trailing 23-20, the Ravens marched into PITT territory and were approaching Billy Cundiff FG range at the 35 when they faced 3rd and 7. Two LaMarr Woodley sacks later, the threat was over. The Ravens had the chance to get the ball back one more time thanks to a Tom Zbikowski INT return, but the play was negated by a Frank Walker illegal contact call.

Divisional Round @ Indianapolis:1st half-Tied at 3, the Colts faced a 4th and 4 from the Baltimore 35 that had the Ravens stopped-they would have been in great position to try to take the lead going to the half. Not only did Joseph Addai pick up the first down, Peyton Manning ultimately found Austin Collie for what would end up being the game-winning TD. The Ravens got the ball back, but mixed a 1st down run with 2 incomplete passes-giving Indy one more chance. They made it count, as Reggie Wayne hauled in a short TD to take a 17-3 lead.2nd half-As was the case in Green Bay, the final 5 minutes were mostly unnecessary. But the Colts made sure the Ravens didn’t get even as much as a glimmer of hope-as Antoine Bethea and Jerraud Powers wrapped the playoff victory up with interceptions.

As you can see, the struggles over the final 5 minutes were in every phase of the game. Untimely mistakes, bad play calling, clock mismanagement, errors in judgment, and lapses from the defense, offense and special teams. It wasn’t a season where Joe Flacco, the secondary, the O-Line or the coaching staff struggled in the final 5 minutes of halves-it was a season where EVERYONE struggled in the final 5 minutes of halves.

Ultimately, the responsibility to win the final 5 minutes probably does fall on the head coach. Managing what tend to be frenzied situations and having to make quick decisions are the responsibility of the man in charge-as there can only be one voice in the panic. The final 5 minutes would be the time where John Harbaugh needs to be able to veto a call from Cam Cameron, Greg Mattison OR Jerry Rosburg-or just make a call on his own.

But even if he chooses not to do that, the final 5 minutes are where attention to detail is most critical from a head coach. This has plagued Andy Reid throughout his career in Philadelphia, and is probably the biggest reason why Reid is thought of as a really good coach instead of a Super Bowl winning coach.

John Harbaugh just wrapped up his 2nd year as a head coach. He has time to change things. But with every issue the team faced this season-the final 5 minutes of each half were the most obvious place where this team lost 8 games.

Losing 8 games won’t be acceptable if this team wants to take steps forward in the future.

3:43-Attention: This Rick Reilly story for ESPN.com involves a young man with an inoperable brain tumor, Cam Cameron, Ray Rice, and WMAR News anchor Jamie Costello. Someone where you work will be talking about it tomorrow. You might want tissues.

2:35-With today being like a Friday around 1 Winning Drive, the players were a bit more loose. Frank Walker, Mark Clayton, Prescott Burgess and others even figured out a way to rig up a MacGyver-like basketball hoop on their lockers….

Frank even threw home a thunderous dunk at one point. Tavares Gooden was rapping with “Stash” from 98 Rock at one point as well. It was a pretty loose locker room all things considered.

Of course, Jared Gaither declined to talk to us when we approached him regarding his ankle injury, saying he had been instructed not to talk to anyone.

2:26-Here are some highlights from around 1 Winning Drive today:

John Harbaugh:
-on Joe Flacco NOT being listed on yesterday’s injury report: “I guess he’s okay…..that usually means he’s not receiving treatment anymore.” John also was quick to point out that it is Bill Tessendorf who fills out the injury report, not him.
-When asked if the team understands the significance playing the Colts has for the city of Baltimore: “We understand history…..but (the players’) focus is on other things.” (Namely, winning a football game.)
-on playoff experience: “It’s good that we’ve been in this situation before, but every year is different.”
-John said that unlike Rex Ryan and the Jets, the Ravens do NOT have anything scheduled beyond this week.
-”We have a strategy” for the coin flip

Cam Cameron:
-says Jared Gaither practiced, and knows that players try a little harder to get ready for playoff games….”my guess is he’ll be ready to roll.”
-is confident in Oniel Cousins if Gaither can’t go, saying Cousins’ struggles in Pittsburgh were “a function of our entire unit.”
-on passing the ball just 10 times against New England: “Johnny Unitas could have been quarterbacking that game, and the game would have been called the same.”

Jerry Rosburg:
-Jalen Parmele brings “running back skills” to the kick return position
-Matt Katula had a “very good week of practice”, better than recent weeks.
-Doesn’t think Matt Stover will be affected by the atmosphere surrounding Saturday night’s game

1:56-Hear from John Harbaugh, Cam Cameron and Jerry Rosburg NOW in the Audio Vault at WNST.net!

11:50-Greetings from 1 Winning Drive, where the Baltimore Ravens are conducting a walkthrough in preparation for Saturday night’s battle with the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC divisional playoffs. The Ravens are on the practice field right now. After missing practice yesterday, OT Jared Gaither (ankle) returned to practice today, but was moving at a VERY slow pace during the portion of practice that was open to the media.

We are scheduled to hear from John Harbaugh, Cam Cameron, Jerry Rosburg and others this afternoon following practice. The Ravens will have no availability tomorrow, so this will be our final chance to hear from them before Saturday night’s showdown in Indy.

LB Dannell Ellerbe checked in with Drew Forrester this morning on “The Comcast Morning Show” on AM1570 WNST, you can hear the interview in the Audio Vault at WNST.net!

Make sure you’re following us on Twitter (@WNST) for all of the quickest updates!

It was a super day for the Baltimore Ravens franchise as they put on a first quarter clinic en route to a 33-14 whipping of the New England Patriots on their home turf in the opening round of the NFL Playoffs. There were lots of firsts for the Ravens on Sunday, as chronicled by Drew in this blog, and a city that seemed a little bit skeptical of this team’s ability to win in the post season will no doubt be going purple crazy all week as Baltimore gets ready to head to Indianapolis. We have several days to analyze that matchup and as Glenn mentioned in his blog, there are things that need some correcting. However, for tonight, this blog is just going to primarily talk about the positives (my dad would call this the anti-Phil Jackman blog - and Phil you know I still love ya!):

- I don’t think I am going out on a limb in declaring this the best performance by the team all season. They defeated an elite club that has a one of the best QB’s in the NFL by lining up and just physically beating the Patriots in nearly every aspect of the game. New England had the deer in the headlights look after Ray Rice went 83 yards on the game’s opening play from scrimmage followed by the Terrell Suggs sack and fumble of Tom Brady that set up the Ravens second touchdown. It was smash mouth Ravens football, no doubt.

- After the game Ray Lewis, who was outstanding with 13 tackles and a sack on Sunday, praised defensive coordinator Greg Mattison for coming up with a great game plan. Mattison, however, said that it was not his schemes, it was the players execution that did the job. Whatever the case, the Baltimore defense was the most aggressive it has been all year and clearly that style fits the personnel. New England only had 196 total yards, wow! Charlie Frye threw for 180 yards on the Ravens in the 1st half alone in last week’s victory in Oakland. #52 talked in the post game about disguising the blitz until the last second for fear of Brady recognizing it and checking off, something the 3-time Super Bowl Champion excels at. Well today, #12 had no clue what was coming most of the time and he played like it. Mattison felt that the team could generate pressure rushing just four players and for the most part he was right. If there is one thing I would like to see less of, it would be the three man rush. The NFL rules are set up so much for the offense that if you give the receivers time to get open they either will or likely draw a penalty.

- Speaking of penalties, Baltimore only was flagged 3 times for a total of 15 yards! That was incredible focus and discipline by a team that has struggled to maintain its composure in several instances this year. Yes, the team was winning so it was easier to stay in control, but mentally that may have been the best the squad collectively has executed all year. Not a single personal foul or pass interference infraction was whistled on the Ravens today.

- Did the offense remind you a bit of the 2000 Ravens in Tennessee? Baltimore only threw the ball 10 times and Joe Flacco completed just four passes (but two were huge ones to Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton to keep second half drives going). But when you get an early lead after an 83 yd scamper why not keep pounding the ball like the Ravens used to do with Jamal Lewis? The rushing totals were 52 carries for 234 yards, a 4.5 yard per carry average. The backs were good and the offensive line was flat out dominant. It is clear that a healthy Jared Gaither at left tackle plays a huge role in offensive success.

- The much maligned secondary was superb today forcing 3 interceptions and holding Randy Moss to 5 catches for 48 yards (and most of those came in garbage time). Dominique Foxworth, Frank Walker, and Dwan Landry might have had their best games of the season. The pressure put on Brady certainly helped and having a healthier Ed Reed at safety contributed as well. Ravens fans can only hope that #20 continues to progress physically this week because they will need his smarts against Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, and company. Reed even had a good lateral today to Landry on his INT that put the Ravens in the red zone.

- Special teams were fairly solid. Tom Zbikowski’s 30 yard return after New England cut the Ravens lead to 27-14 put the ball near midfield and on the shorter grid the Ravens drove for the score that put the nail in the coffin in this one. Sam Koch punted well with two good kicks that pinned the Pats inside their own 20 yard line and even Matt Katula’s long snaps were better allowing kicker Billy Cundiff to hit on both of his field goals and all three PATs.

- The Ravens came out as healthy as you can be after 17 weeks of football and tight end Todd Heap’s back injury appears to be minor. So could a team that has been banged up so badly since starting 3-0 finally be getting healthier in some key areas (see Gaither and Reed)? One has to hope that is true and Flacco will likely have an easier time getting his aching hip loose in a dome instead of the freezing north east.

- All in all it was a very good day to be affiliated with the Ravens and somewhere heading south on I-95 at 1000pm on Sunday night there are two full buses of very happy people who decided to go on the WNST road trip to Gillette Stadium. Those people, and any other Ravens fan who attended the game in person, are truly great for showing such faith in a team that many thought would get beat today, including myself. As anyone that has traveled with WNST knows, WNST bus trips, whether to a Ravens game, a Caps or Bears hockey game, or to a horse race, is a ton of fun. I’m sure this weekend to Indianapolis will be no exception so sign up, if you can. By the way, it was great to hear Ravens Coach John Harbaugh mention and praise the support the team received from the Ravens fans who attended the contest today. So how about we more than double that for next week’s Saturday night contest and get at least five WNST buses going to Indy?

2:17-When asked “How did you get a shovel and a sword on a plane across the country?” by a reporter today, John Harbaugh immediately started laughing-then responded by saying “President Obama is asking the same question right now probably, right?” John explained that the Ravens did NOT bring a shovel and sword across the country, but instead had some of their “friends at Stanford” provide those things to him.

Here is a picture of the new patch the Ravens are sporting in practice this week…..

A follow up question was about rumors John’s brother Jim Harbaugh may be a candidate for the currently open Bills head coaching position. John said Jim was “happy” at Stanford, and still had a goal to win a Pac 10 Championship. However, John said it would be a “thrill” to have Jim join him at the NFL level, and added “he could do it.”

2:16-Hear from John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco NOW in the Audio Vault at WNST.net. Don’t forget that for the quickest updates from 1 Winning Drive-follow us on Twitter (@WNST).

2:08-It does NOT appear to be an injury concern-but certainly it is worth noting that Joe Flacco left practice early today and received treatment in the Trainers’ room. When we saw him in the locker room, it appeared as though he may have been in pain (hip). When asked, John Harbaugh said Joe was “fine” and he left early because he had “finished his work” today. Joe said the hip was a little “stiff” and he was dealing with some bruising.

11:51-Greetings from 1 Winning Drive, where the Baltimore Ravens are walking through before Sunday’s AFC Wild Card showdown with the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. We are scheduled to hear from John Harbaugh around 1:50 this afternoon.

All Ravens (including CB Marcus Paschal, who missed yesterday’s practice) were healthy and participating in the brief portion of practice open to the media today. The Ravens again worked inside-somewhat surprising given the weather question mark they’ll be dealing with in Foxborough Sunday. I can tell you that the team’s specialists (Matt Katula, Nick Sundberg, Sam Koch and Billy Cundiff) have all worked out outside at times this week to be prepared for weather/field conditions at Gillette Stadium.

Remember when Matt Katula was first battling his elbow injury this season and we found out Willis McGahee was capable of being an emergency long snapper? A Ravens offensive skill position player was bragging to us today about how he played every position in High School, including punter. When I asked how long it had been since he punter, he said “Yesterday. I punt everyday.” A Sun reporter asked him how far he could punt and he answered “at least 45 yards.” With our interest peaked, he tracked down a football and proved that indeed, he could punt a great distance. The Ravens have needed an emergency punter before (remember Kordell Stewart punting against the Jets at the Meadowlands), and this player certainly could fill that role.

Jerry Rosburg:
-”I’m confident” Matt Katula will play well Sunday vs. Pats
-On playing in Foxborough: “They have a good surface.”

Cam Cameron:
-Bills rumors are “farthest thing from my mind”, he said he hadn’t been contacted about their head coaching vacancy.
-Playing against Belichick, Patriots “ultimate chess game.”
-Thought Flacco played well against Oakland because he didn’t put defense in a “compromising position.”
-Holding on to the football is a “critical element” of playoff football
-on facing Vince Wilfork: “Matt Birk’s here for a reason.”

Greg Mattison:
-”We’ve hurt ourselves” against really good QB’s
-Ben Watson is a “very very good receiver.”

Also, RB/KR Jalen Parmele joined Drew Forrester on “The Comcast Morning Show” this morning on AM1570 WNST & WNST.net. You can hear from Jalen in the Audio Vault as well.

Don’t forget-for the quickest updates-follow us on Twitter (@WNST).

1:07-Greetings from 1 Winning Drive, where the Baltimore Ravens continue their preparations for Sunday’s AFC Wild Card round showdown with the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

At practice today, CB Marcus Paschal appeared to be the only player not participating-although he was dressed and on the side; he may have ended up doing some work. It is worth noting that a few Boston media members are in town, and they are NOT being allowed to watch Ravens practice.

We are scheduled to hear from the coordinators today (Cam Cameron, Greg Mattison and Jerry Rosburg) around 1:30.

In the meantime, check out this speech from John Harbaugh following Sunday’s win over the Oakland Raiders. He refers to a shovel “Just keep digging” and a sword. The Ravens are now practicing wearing patches that depict both a shovel and a sword.

3:00-Sorry for the delay since my last update-I’ve been scrambling to recover since the UNTHINKABLE news that Roberto Alomar fell short in Hall of Fame voting. Quick note: Vikings WR/KR Percy Harvin was voted AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, Michael Oher finished 2nd in voting.

1:41-Governor O’Malley is here at 1 Winning Drive, and met very briefly with the media before going to watch practice. I asked him about the court’s decision to postpone Friday’s auction of Pimlico and Laurel. He responded…..

“We’re glad that the court is protecting and understanding of the importance of keeping Preakness in Maryland.”

You can hear the roughly 2 minutes with the Governor in the Audio Vault at WNST.net. Warning: there’s political talk (including Sheila Dixon) involved-but I was also able to get in a question about whether or not he’ll be making a bet with anyone in Massachusetts before Sunday’s game.

1:15-Some quick odds and ends from out here today:

-Willis McGahee was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Sunday’s win over the Oakland Raiders.
-John Harbaugh was mistakenly listed as “Jim Harbaugh” on the front page of the Patriots media guide. His response: “I’m honored.”
-Governor Martin O’Malley will attend practice this afternoon
-When asked if the Ravens would play with less aggression due to the way the first NE game was officiated, Trevor Pryce said “If we change the way we play the game, who are we? We’re the Lions.”
-Mark Clayton was asked if he viewed Sunday’s game as a chance at redemption following his crucial drop at the end of the first game. His response was “It’s just a game.” When asked if he still thinks about that drop, he responded “not at all.”

11:17-Greetings from 1 Winning Drive, where the Baltimore Ravens return to work today after two days off in preparation for Sunday’s AFC Wild Card showdown with the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. We are scheduled to hear from John Harbaugh, Ray Rice, Ray Lewis, Joe Flacco, Derrick Mason and other Ravens today; as well as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady via conference call from the Pats.

Back shortly with more. Make sure to follow us on Twitter (@WNST) for the quickest updates.